From the book

From the book

To create colors that complement an image you are using in a document, you can use the InDesign Color Theme tool. The tool analyzes the image, selects representative colors, and provides five different themes for you. You can select and use swatches from a color theme, add a color theme’s swatches to the Swatches panel, and share the color themes through CC Libraries.

Creating a color theme

First, you will create and a color theme from the mosaic image featuring the word “Choose.” Then, you will select the color theme you want to use.

On the Tools panel, select the Color Theme tool ( ).

Locate the mosaic image containing the word “Choose” in the lower-left corner of the page.

NOTE

If the Eyedropper tool is displaying on the Tools panel rather than the Color Theme tool, click and hold on the small triangle in the lower-right corner of the tool. Drag to select the Color Theme tool.

Click the Color Theme tool anywhere on the image.

Notice that the Color Theme panel displays with a color theme picked up from the image.

On the Color Theme panel, click the arrow next to the row of swatches. Select the Dark theme.

You can select and use any of the swatches shown here, but instead you will add the entire color theme to the Swatches panel.

TIP

To select the Color Theme tool from the keyboard, press the “i” key. If necessary, press the “i” key twice to cycle through the Eyedropper tool and the Color Theme tool.

Adding a color theme to the Swatches panel

The Dark color theme will work best for the advertisement in progress. First, you will add it to the Swatches panel. Then, you will share this color theme with others in your workgroup who are working on other pieces in the marketing campaign.

First, you will create and a color theme from the mosaic image featuring the word “Choose.” Then, you will select the color theme you want to use.

On the Color Theme panel, click the Add to Swatches button ().

Choose Window > Color > Swatches to see the Dark theme added to the Swatches panel.

TIP

You can add a single color from a color theme to the Swatches panel in addition to adding an entire theme. To do this, select a swatch on the Color Theme panel, and then Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Add to Swatches button.

Adding a color theme to your CC Library

The InDesign Creative Cloud Libraries feature makes it easy to share assets, such as color swatches and images, with a workgroup. If multiple designers are working on a magazine or marketing campaign, this ensures that everyone on the creative team has easy access to the same content. Here, you will add the Dark color theme to your Creative Cloud library.

NOTE

To use the Creative Cloud Libraries features, make sure the Adobe Creative Cloud application is running on your system. For more information, see the “Getting Started” section at the beginning of the book.

On the Color Theme panel, with the Dark theme still showing, click the Add to CC Library button ().